


prideful love

by shindouchrono



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Slow Burn, Twitter, anxiety disorders
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2019-12-18 04:20:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18242276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shindouchrono/pseuds/shindouchrono
Summary: Ran doesn't like Yukina, or anything. Absolutely no way. Even if she did, she'd never, ever, ever-- emphasis on ever, say it.Luckily for her, there's a way she can.





	1. can't say it, won't say it

It wasn’t like Ran cared about Roselia, nor did she keep up with them in any way, shape, or form. Ever.  _ Ever.  _ More importantly, Ran Mitake doesn’t care about  _ Yukina Minato _ in any way, shape, or form. 

Or, at least, that’s what she’d tell herself. Sure, listening to Minato-san’s vocals made her blood boil in a way she couldn’t describe-- sure, it made a fire light within her very soul, so bright and burning that she couldn’t sit still, but… that was just their rivalry.

The dark haired girl stares at the tab she has open. No,  _ Ran Mitake  _ didn’t care about Roselia. But, if she went by a different name, then maybe… 

Ran hits  _ create a new account,  _ and enters all the details she’d kept in the back of her mind. Some throwaway username that may or may not have been a reference to one of Minato-san’s lyrics, a icon of a cute cat she’d stumbled across. 

Yeah. This didn’t seem like Ran Mitake. This seemed like someone else. Someone that didn’t matter. Someone that Yukina would never, ever know. Someone that all of her friends could never identify, hopefully, because they’d never let her live it down. 

She follows several accounts. Despite the time, she gets near immediate follow backs. 11PM wasn’t that late, but on a school night, it kind of was. She idly scrolls through people’s profiles, retweeting anything she found interesting. 

Ran made sure to not follow any of Afterglow’s members. That’d be too obvious. Way too obvious. Or maybe she should? That way she could hide in plain sight. Nah. Maybe later. That was a decision she’d sleep on, for sure.

She hesitates, hovering over the list of recommended accounts. One of them was Minato-san’s official account. Sometimes, her and Ran’s main accounts would be in a mutual block. Unless someone intervened, like Kasumi-chan. 

Which happened often. Way too often. Thus, the incognito account. She'd sooner die than lose her pride.

Ran realizes she's lost her train of thought and sighs, shoving her face deep into her hands. This was pathetic. She was pathetic. 

God, this whole thing was so goddamn stupid. 

Ignoring her current crisis, she simply refreshes the page and stares at the short list of notifications. But there's something new. A new follower.

Wait, that display name was an Afterglow lyric. Ran clicks their profile open in another tab and almost immediately feels her face flush. It's an Afterglow fan account, and scrolling further, it seems like they're… a huge fan of…

_ went to an Afterglow concert today. ran is the cutest~ _

Ran buries her face in her hand. Wow, her face burned. She didn't want to read all these compliments. But if she didn't follow back, maybe it'd be obvious it was her… even though this was probably someone random. The black haired girl debates to herself, leaning back in her chair and fiddling with one of the many assorted charms on her desk.

She hits the mute button before she hits follow. There's no way Ran could last, reading all those positive and affectionate comments about her. But then she hesitates, and hits unmute.

Idly, she refreshes the page. There's a notif that disappears as soon as she reads further down her timeline. 

That person who liked Afterglow… They'd tagged her directly in a tweet. Ran feels her heart speed up, and she bites her lip, reading reluctantly. 

_ hello! thanks for the follow back. i see you like roselia. if you don't mind me asking, what do you like about them? i hope this doesn't come off as weird, haha _

Fingers resting over the keyboard, Ran hesitates. This was her opportunity to say everything she liked about Yukina's band. She could be honest without being afraid, but part of her was still reluctant. She wasn't...ready, just yet. She wanted to ignore her feelings longer, so that she wouldn't need to admit it.

Another notification pops up. Instead of checking her timeline, Ran looks at her notification section.

It's from the same account.

_ sorry for the random @! also, your profile photo is really cute. i love cats! _

How should she respond, in a situation like this… The vocalist wonders if she should attempt to shift her typing style. But she knew how hard it was to break a habit like that. Slowly but surely, she writes out a reply.

_ What I like? Um, kind of hard to say. There's...a lot I like about them. It's Yukina Minato I like the most, though. There's just something about her, that makes me want to look at her, to hear her vocals forever. _

_ She's beautiful, too. Her beauty has such a sharp feeling, but her voice can be so gentle. It makes my heart beat so fast I worry it'll stop. But… maybe that'd be okay, lol. _

_ It's not weird. If anything, I think my response was a little weird… Thanks for the compliment. I like cats, too. I don't own one, though. ...But I've been told I resemble one. Maybe that's why so many cats like me. _

Ran's cheeks still burn. She pushes her chair back and goes to grab an ice pack to rest against her forehead. Maybe a snack. It was nearly midnight, but eh. Whatever.

She comes back with a couple of rice crackers, an ice pack, and a glass of water. Ran realizes quickly she came back  _ to  _ something. 

_ that's similar to how i feel about ran. i want to hear her sing forever. i saw her sing up close, once. it was like… thunder and lighting. it's exhilarating, powerful and passionate. i want to see more, to hear more. always  _

_ the way she talks is so carefully measured, but her singing is… an uncontrollable passion with overflowing talent _

_ there's a part of me that selfishly wishes to have such a voice all to myself. it's wrong to feel that way, but… i can't help it, really. but i guess it doesn't matter. _

_ that sounds nice… i wish cats liked me more. i always get excited when i see one, but i'm too worried they'll run off if i pet them. i'm content enough just looking…  _

_ hehe. a cat like person? that's cute _

_ it kind of feels like you bared your heart to me just now, actually. so i felt like i should, too _

Ran shoves her face directly into the ice pack. She very, very,  _ very _ gently screams into the object, because she doesn't want to damage her voice but wow, that was a lot, wow, that was embarrassing. Wow, that was… exactly how the dark haired girl felt.

_ Huh. I don't think wanting her voice to yourself is weird. I feel the same way about Yukina.  _

_ It's embarrassing to admit, though.  _

_ A good thing to do is approach cats slowly, while bent down. Having treats on you is a good idea, but that's pretty inconvenient to carry around. I am speaking from personal experience, lol. _

Still, though. Ran didn't think there was anyone out there who loved her vocals so much. It was embarrassing, but she was… happy. There was about a 70:30 ratio of embarrassment to happiness, but… 

Ran catches a glimpse of the clock and realizes she should really be turning off her computer and going to bed. Refreshing the page one last time before she goes to the bathroom to brush her teeth, Ran recognizes the feeling upon seeing nothing new as disappointment. 

From a first impression, the vocalist decides she really likes this person. Whoever they were.

After she's done flossing her teeth, Ran refreshes Twitter just before she starts to brush her teeth. There was a notification, but it wasn't loading.  She zones out as she brushes her teeth, coming back to reality when her two minute timer goes off. She moves to mouthwash, thinking about some of the other tweets she read from that person.

What was their name, anyway? She should have asked. And what name should Ran use? Something inconspicuous. Something so unlike hers but similar enough it'd throw people off. It's hard to come up with anything. She thinks back to the most recent anime she'd watched. Some shitty isekai Moca insisted they watch, because dumpster fires were (apparently) incredibly entertaining.

What was the main character's name again? Something that started with K… Ran couldn't quite remember. Flustered, she glances around her bedroom for something to use as a name. Inspiration, or whatever.

Kuma. No, that wasn't really a name. But for an online nickname, it'd be fine, right? No, it still felt too unrealistic. She glances at her bed. Several stuffed animals are there, and Ran runs through their names. But that'd be embarrassing, so no. Despite how cute some of them were. The dark haired girl looks around her room for _something,_ anything. She can't help but feel a little bit unprepared.

She glances at the potted flowers sitting on her windowsill and something clicks.

Hana. 

Subtle enough. Besides, Ran Mitake would never call herself that. She'd never embrace flower arrangement the way her father wanted to.

And that didn't matter. Because right now, she wasn't Ran Mitake. She was Hana, someone who was good with cats, loved Roselia and liked-- no,  _ loved _ Yukina.

If those things about Hana were true, it didn't matter. It wasn't Ran that felt that way. She plugs her phone in, checking Twitter one last time before she put away her phone. As Ran expected, she had a couple of notifications. Three followbacks, and, what she hoped for. Replies.

Ran types in her password, smiling briefly at her lock screen. It's a photobooth photo of Afterglow. There's several photos, but they're all smiling in each one.

The vocalist pulls the covers down and climbs into her bed as she replies. Ran reaches out to grab one of the stuffed animals on her bed, hugging it tightly. 

She rests her chin on the elephant plush, feeling the soft fabric against her skin. Tomoe won it for her at an arcade when they were kids. Ran was never good at things like that. It was right after they learned about elephants in class. 

Ran thought they were adorable, and as a child wanted to see one up close. Tomoe spent a decent chunk of her pocket money on that crane game… the dark haired girl felt bad, but at the same time, thinking of Tomoe's smile when she finally won it, brandishing it to Ran… made her really happy.

She begins reading through the replies.

_ i know what you mean. i've been using this account for… half a year, or so. at first i was locked, because i was embarrassed and didn't want anyone to know  _

_ and still, no one knows. i'm not ashamed of my love, or anything… not anymore, at least. saying it irl is embarrassing, though.  _

_ that's a good idea. i'll pick up some cat treats, soon. down a path i frequent is a cat i've always wanted to pet. i'll keep you updated if it works… _

_ that reminds me, what's your name? _

Ran pushes the covers down so she can type out a reply.

_ I thought about doing that. Hopefully I can one day admit how I feel, but… I know what you mean. I don't want anyone to know. _

_ I'm not… embarrassed, just shy. And to answer your question, name is Hana. What's yours?  _

The reply comes quick.

_ fuyu. my name is fuyu. it's nice to meet you, hana-san.  _

Fuyu… what a nice name.

_ Nice to meet you as well, Fuyu-san. You don't need to add -san to my name, by the way. But if you still want to, that's okay. _

_ I hope it goes well with the cats. Keep me updated.  _

_ I'm going to bed now, since it's getting late. I'll talk to you tomorrow? _

Ran pulls the covers up, watching her timeline as she does. A notification appears after a minute or so, just as her phone gets dim. 

_ okay. just fuyu is fine, then.  _

_ good night, hana. i hope you sleep well. i ought to head to bed soon, too. i need to be rested to pet those cats properly. _

With a small smile on her face, the vocalist flicks off her light. Surprisingly enough, she doesn't regret this.

 

Yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gee, i wonder who fuyu is. def not someone whos name also has yu in it. 
> 
> anyways uh . slow burn time babey. i hope everyone who reads this likes it! if you do, feel free to leave a kudo or a comment! it'd really make my day. 
> 
> the rest of the two bands will appear and probably some more of the general cast characters.....eventually. all in due time. slow burn is as slow burn does, as they say (no one says this) (i have literally never heard anyone say this and if they do then thank god im not alone). my incoherent authors notes aside i rly hope u enjoyed this! yukiran is the only bandori ship
> 
> my twitter is @shindouchrono! i hope u have a lovely day and thanks for poppin in to read. or im assuming you did since my ans are at the bottom of the page, lol


	2. open hearted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Why does it matter? It's not like I care what she's looking at or anything.”
> 
> Moca grins. “Wahh, the mega-tsundere line… coming from our ultra-tsundere… I kinda feel blessed.”

Ran wakes up twenty minutes before her alarm, as always. She doesn't want to get up. She just wants to sleep… 

Shutting her eyes again, Ran doesn't move a muscle until her actual alarm begins to ring. It's just the default ringtone, because the vocalist hated it and that spite was motivation enough to get up.

Ran pulls herself out of bed, barely awake. She runs on autopilot as she eats breakfast, brushes her teeth, and begins taking off her pajamas.

She'd just finished adjusting her school uniform when she suddenly screams, remembering the prior night. Ran scrambles for her phone, eagerly checking for any messages. 

A decent amount of follow backs, several likes, but… nothing from Fuyu. Ran feels embarrassed at her disappointment. 

She uses every ounce of her self restraint not to read over her tweets from the night before, because then she'd stay home so she could properly die a humiliating death, secluded and alone in her room.

She thinks hard about her life choices and decides to log out. Just in case.

Ran sighs. Whatever. There wasn't any use thinking too hard about it. Right now, she needed to make sure she had everything in her bag and then meet up with Afterglow so they could walk to school together. 

* * *

 

“Good morning!” Several voices say, and Ran looks up from where she's leaning against the front of her house.

“Ran~” Moca calls, trailing behind the rest of their band. Once she's close enough, she wraps her hands around Ran's waist and buries her face in the vocalist's neck. “Today's Ran feels shy~ did something happen?”

_ What the hell.  _

Actually, they've known each other basically their whole lives. Maybe Ran was making a weird expression without realizing, or maybe it was just because Moca  _ knew  _ Ran, she could tell. It wasn't weird for Moca to be able to notice if something was off, especially something so minuscule--

Oh, hell! Who is she kidding?! It totally had to have been showing on her face.

“What are you talking about, Moca. I think you're just seeing what you want to see. Even if something did happen, which it didn't, I wouldn't be embarrassed.”

Tomoe snorts. Ran glares in her direction, but the redhead just laughs again, which is infuriating. “I dunno how to say this, Ran… but your facial expressions are way too obvious.”

She simply looks away, crossing her arms and attempting to get Moca off of her. It doesn't work, until Tsugumi points out there's no way they'll make it to school on time like that. 

They go on their way. 

* * *

As always, Ran doesn't want to say goodbye as they walk off to their class, and she to hers, but she does anyways. She stops in front of her classroom door, but doesn't walk in.

No. She knows she shouldn't do this. If she missed, she'd miss another day, and then another day after that. But the vocalist can't budge.

Why today, of all days… though, logically, it was probably because of her lack of sleep that made this objectively simple task difficult. 

She doesn't even remember going up to the rooftop, but now she's here. Staring off into the distance, thinking of everything and nothing at all. After the next bell. She'll go back. She will.

But Ran doesn't. She sits down, back against the fence and curls in on herself. 

There's a rustle in her pocket, and, confused, she reaches in. It's just a pair of headphones. The vocalist sighs, disappointed, and then remembers--

She can use them.

At first she doesn't know what to play. She doesn't know what she wants to listen to. Most of all, she didn't know what she wanted to hear. So even if someone tried to help her, and asked Ran how they could help-- she wouldn't have an answer. 

Saying ‘ _ I don't know’  _ felt far more shameful than saying she didn't need help.

So, she hits shuffle instead, and closes her eyes. The midday sunlight is warm on her face. She can feel her heart beating loudly with anticipation, but Ran didn't know what yet for.

A new song begins, and Ran inhales sharply. 

LOUDER. A personal favorite of the dark haired girl's. She laughs, and just for a split second, a sweet, glorious second--she's fine. It doesn't hurt. She's not lonely, or scared, or anxious--!

She opens Twitter and logs in.

_ Good morning. Today's been rather hectic. I'm glad to hear Yukina's vocals again. I already feel calmer… _

She lets shuffle play, eyes shut. Maybe she falls asleep. It's hard to tell, but the sun is so warm on her face. 

Something nudges her, and reluctantly, she opens her eyes. “Mmn… what?” Tomoe presses a hand against her forehead.

“You're not sick, are you?” She looks concerned. 

Ran looks around. Everyone else is here, looking an equal amount of concerned. “N-no. I'm fine, just a little bit sleepy.”

Tomoe and Himari shoot each other a look. Raising her eyebrows, Ran glances at her phone and sees the time.

“Oh, shit. I was asleep for that long…”

Tsugu nods. “Mhm… you weren't waiting for us like you usually would, so…”

Ran feels her cheeks redden.

“We got worried and started to look for you! Thankfully it didn't take too long, since we know you so well.” Himari looks slightly proud of herself, puffing her chest out with a big grin.

But Ran knows her friends better than this. Hidden by their relief and natural affection was a deep, deep sense of worry. She knew they were all worried about her, but the vocalist didn't know how to alleviate that feeling.

She lets Tomoe help her up, ignoring how dizzy she feels with the sudden movement. 

Ran doesn't know what to say. But she doesn't protest when Tomoe's arms wrap around one of her shoulders, or when Tsugumi links her arm with Ran's.

Soon, Himari grabs Tomoe's hand, and Moca grabs Tsugumi's hand. Ran definitely feels embarrassed, but a little bit happy. Well.

Maybe more than a little bit.

They make their way home like this, despite Ran's protests. On the way out, they see a familiar face. 

Yukina's sitting at a bench, legs crossed, school bag on the space next to her. She looks a little bit tired, but despite that, Yukina's looking at her phone with a small smile on her face. 

Ran forces herself to look away, and keep walking. There's silence filled only by the absentminded sounds of high schoolers just as school has been let out.

“Wonder what she was looking at.” Tomoe mutters, taking a half-glance at Ran's expression. 

It doesn't change. 

“Why does it matter? It's not like I care what she's looking at or anything.”

Moca grins. “Wahh, the mega-tsundere line… coming from our ultra-tsundere… I kinda feel blessed.”

Ran can see Himari and Tsugumi nod, and frowns. “Hah? I'm not a tsundere. I really don't care about what she's doing. Why would I?”

“Yes, yes.” Tomoe says, nodding her head. The five of them keep walking. “That reminds me, Ran.”

“Yeah?”

The red haired girl keeps looking forward. “If something's wrong, or even if something isn't, you know you can talk to us, right?” 

Ran pauses. Yeah, she knows that. She knows that, but… it's hard. “Yeah. I know… thanks, Tomoe. Everyone. I'm sorry, if, um… if I worried you or anything when you couldn't find me. I had trouble sleeping last night, so I guess I was just more tired than I thought.”

Moca fake sniffles. “We were so worried. Moca was beside herself in tears. We didn't know where our precious Ran had gone--”

“She says that, but Moca was really worried about you.” Himari leans over to look at Ran. “She just bolted up to the roof, and we were all running after her.”

Moca doesn't say anything. She just whistles nonchalantly, and Ran stifles a laugh.

“Uh-huh. I see. Thanks, Moca.”

They idly chat after that. Not about much, not about anything super important. Soon, it's time for them to part ways.

“Ran. Next time I find you passed out like that I'm seriously gonna carry you home.” Tomoe threatens, good naturedly. “Remember what happened with Tsugu?”

All four of them, save Tsugumi, nod. Tsugu just looks embarrassed. 

“I understand.” The black haired girl says, hoping she didn't fall flat. And, unexpectedly, Tsugumi dashes in for a hug. The rest of Afterglow quickly follows. “H-hey! Doing this in public is embarrassing.”

Muffled by her face in Ran's shoulder, Tsugu mutters, “Deal with it, Ran.”

The vocalist laughs because that's almost out of character for Tsugumi, but she knew it was just a side of herself she didn't want to show to anyone else. They were all like that. 

Hiding the things they didn't want others to see, but accidentally letting their guards down. They'd known each other for so long, and yet it seemed like there was always more to learn. More to see.

Ran waves them all goodbye and walks into her house. Her father seems preoccupied with a bunch of flowers, ones that Ran vaguely recognizes. “Welcome home.” He says, with a soft smile.

She smiles back, slipping her shoes off. “I'm home.”

They make dinner together. Nothing fancy or too difficult. Just something simple. Something casual.

Ran feels happy, if not a little guilty on account of her skipping all her classes today. But he isn't saying anything. 

After dinner, she goes back to her room and immediately faceplants head first onto her bed. She doesn't bother changing out of her uniform just yet. She rolls onto her side, and then her back. 

Her phone buzzes. 

Oh, right. She hadn't checked Twitter all day.

Her heart speeds up as she checks her notifications. Oh, there's a reply to her tweet from earlier. From Fuyu...

_ a hectic day this early? i hope you're alright.  _

Ran smiles. She presses like on the tweet, debating how to respond. The vocalist pauses, staring at the timestamp of the tweet. Huh.

That's around the same time Ran got out of school. In that case, Fuyu was probably a high schooler. 

_ I'm okay now. Thanks for asking. I went to bed a little too late last night. I need to get up early for school, after all. _

This time, the reply comes immediately. 

_ oh, i see. my apologies for keeping you up. ...i hope i'm not incorrect in assuming it was me? but, i felt a little bit tired today too. _

_ i didn't mind it, though. it's nice to talk about the things you love. _

The things you-- love? The things you  _ love? _

Wait-- wait, wait, wait. Ran accidentally drops her phone on the ground, and in her hurry to catch it, rolls too far off the side of her bed and crashes on the ground. “Ow, ouch, fuck.”

She can't find the will to get back up. Instead, she glares upwards at the ceiling.

When she said that, did Fuyu mean she loved Ran? Or that… or that… Ran--no,  _ Hana _ , loved Yukina?!

Well, Hana  _ could  _ love Yukina, right? That'd be fine, probably. They didn't know each other. They'd never, ever meet.

But… what about Ran? Ran Mitake, the girl behind Hana? Ran Mitake, Afterglow's vocalist. The same Ran Mitake who got so embarrassed at the possible implication she  _ might  _ have some sort of feelings towards someone she absolutely, positively, had no sort of feelings for.

No. She didn't like Yukina. She hated her. Yeah, that was it. Ran hated Yukina. She didn't like the way the other girl talked, or stood. Even the way she breathed sometimes pissed Ran off.

Whenever they'd talk for more than twenty minutes, they'd always end up fighting. Because they hated each other. Yeah. Absolutely. 

It's not like Ran ever got so desperate for Yukina to shut up that she'd stare intently.at the other vocalist's lips. It's not like Ran had ever caught Yukina looking at her own.

It was a trick of the light, even though that conversation was taken place late at night in CIRCLE. It was just her imagination. 

_ I guess so.  _ She eventually replies. But that doesn't feel like enough, so she adds a little bit more.  _ How was your day, Fuyu? _

_ mine was good, despite the fact i felt tired. i'm happy you're online now. i had something to tell you. _

_ Oh? What is it _

_ your advice worked. i was able to get slightly closer to the cat today. i'll try again tomorrow. it perked its ears up at me. so cute. i was too worried it'd run away to get a picture, though  _

_ so thank you. for your advice  _

_ Oh, congratulations! I'm glad it worked out for you. Cats can be kind of fickle, but I really love them.  _

_ me too! part of the appeal of cats is how aloof they act. sometimes it's worrying to think if they really care about you, but then they'll sit with their back to you, a sign of trust, or gently blink at you… _

_ or nuzzle your hand. that's happened once to me. it was one of the best days of my life. i still remember how soft the cat's fur was, against my skin _

Ran laughs, seeing Fuyu's excited ramble about cats. It was really… cute.

_ That's really cute. Of you, I mean. The cat stories are cute too, though. You really like cats, huh?  _

_ i do. they're adorable.  _

_...and thank you for the compliment. it makes me happy, but a little embarrassed  _

Ran rolls around a little bit on the floor. Wow, that's adorable, actually. 

But then she realizes she doesn't know what to say from here. It doesn't seem like Fuyu does, either, because she doesn't say anything else, but maybe she was waiting for Hana to say something. 

Ran decides to take a bath instead, because maybe she'll...think of something in there. Hopefully. 

She doesn't really know how to talk to people for long periods of time. Casual conversation or situational conversation was fine, but after a while, an awkward silence would always fill the room. 

It was hard to make conversation with people who weren't members of Afterglow.

* * *

 

She comes back from the bath, toweling off her hair. She really doesn't know what to say. It seemed like such a non-problem that Ran genuinely felt stupid. It was silly to be stumped over by such a thing, wasn't it? 

Ran wants to apologize, but that in of itself was a hurdle. 

...She couldn't do it, but maybe Hana could. 

_ By the way. Sorry if I don't reply sometimes. I'm kind of bad at talking to people, I think. _

She waits.

_ oh, it's okay. i understand. i've had something similar said to me, so you don't need to worry about that. _

_...If you're sure. I'm sorry about that, Fuyu. I like talking to you, though. Don't get me wrong.  _

Fuyu responds with a singular heart, and Ran's heart skips a beat. Goddamn it. Fuck. It's literally just a heart emoji, but  _ fuck that's so cute. _

_ i like talking to you too, hana. _

Ran feels her face flush.  _ Saying things like this is kind of embarrassing. But I guess we made these accounts to be, um, “affectionate” anyways, right? _

_...Anyways. How is your day going? Or, well, how has it been? Since it's almost over. _

_ it's been good, thank you for asking. not much of note happened--aside from the cat. so i guess it's been a good day.  _

_ i did see something rather unpleasant, though. but my emotions can be rather fickle. what about your day? _

The black haired girl pulls down her covers and crawls in, plugging her cellphone in so it can charge. She looks at the reply with confusion, wondering what could have happened. 

_ Oh? Did something happen? If you want to talk about it, that is. But beside that, I'm glad your day was good. _

_ My day was… okay. I kind of had a rough morning. But the end was good, I think. And I got to talk to you. _

Was that too...forward? No, they had only been talking for two days. It was just being friendly.

_ that's sweet of you, hana. _

_ hm… it's a little embarrassing to admit, but it's probably fine to say. i saw someone that i… suppose i like, being touchy feely with their friends. _

_ it's not out of the ordinary for them, i believe. but i couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous. i wonder if that's bad of me? we aren't...together. _

Huh. Fuyu had a crush, from the sound of it. Ran rolls to her other side, adjusting the screen brightness so her eyes didn't burn into a pulp. She bites her lip.

Being touchy feely with friends, huh? Afterglow was like that, too… just like Fuyu's crush. Of course, it was because they had known each other for so long. Ran would never admit it out loud, but she really loved physical affection. 

Jealousy...the vocalist knew that feeling well, in many different ways. Jealous for people who were better at communicating with others. Jealous of people who had two parents, instead of one, or a strained relationship. Jealousy… of those who could casually get close to another person. 

Ran was jealous of the people who could be gentle and affectionate to Yukina.

_ I don't think it's bad of you to feel that way. I… don't know if I have someone I like, but there is… someone, I feel weird if she's being affectionate with someone else. Like you, we aren't even dating… _

A couple of minutes pass.

Fuyu doesn't respond. Ran feels herself start to worry, anxiety wracking up in her body. Finally, she gets a pop-up notification. A direct message from Fuyu.

_ sorry to direct message you so suddenly, but i didn't want to ask where everyone else could see. hana, you said “she” when you referred to the person you… liked _

_ could it be you like women? _

_ this might have come off judgmental. what i'm trying to say, is that i like women as well. i'm a lesbian _

_ Oh. _ Oh. Oh!

Well, first of all, Ran sure accidentally outed herself-- er, Hana, on the internet. Second of all, huh. Small world.

Actually, that line of thinking made it seem like she knew Fuyu in person, or something. It was just a coincidence that they were both lesbian? 

_ Oh, yeah. I do.  _

_ It's okay to message me. I don't mind it. _

She really didn't mind it. It was nice, actually. Ran turns off her light. Fuyu hasn't started typing yet, so Ran starts typing another message.

_ I think I'm going to head off to bed. You should, too. You don't want to be too tired, tomorrow. You need to pet that cat, right?  _

_ Sleep well, Fuyu. _

She closes Twitter, not wanting to wait for the response, because then she'd want to reply again, and then attempt to keep talking, and they'd stay up late again. But… that sounds appealing. Just a little bit. 

Ran closes her eyes, sleepy despite her nap earlier. She doesn't see the message Fuyu replies with.

_ that's a good idea. i need to be at full energy to see if i can get closer and pet that cat… maybe, eventually, i won't need to bribe it, and we'll forge a very precious bond. _

_ or i'll just pet a cat, lol _

_ you too, hana. sleep well _

Ten minutes pass, and in a different house, a different bedroom, Yukina Minato smiles at her phone screen, and Fuyu types out a tweet she later deletes.

_ my heart is pounding really fast. i wonder why _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god these two are so stupid
> 
> ...anyways, chapter 2! i hope everyone enjoys this chapter. i didn't expect the kind of reception i got on chapter one, so i was really happy and motivated. please continue to support me! it makes my day.
> 
> in any case, i hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and has a lovely day. as always, my twitter is @shindouchrono! feel free to kudo, comment, or hmu on twitter. thank you!!
> 
> ps: im posting chapter 2 on mobile so hopefully the formatting isn't wonky.


	3. too close to touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukina steps closer, cupping her cheek with her hand. “Ran,” she says, first name basis only used in her dreams, and her wildest fantasies. “I've wanted to do this for so long. To hold you, gently, and to be able to tell you just how much I love you…”

A cool breeze blows past Yukina's face, and she tucks her hair behind her ears, and turns to face the girl across from her. Ran Mitake.

Someone she had, despite all odds, fallen in love with. The black haired girl had an undeniably bad attitude that always rubbed Yukina the wrong way, but paired with that were so many other things.

Her quiet speaking voice, something as delicate and measured as Rinko's, but her explosive singing voice that could move mountains. 

Her soft black hair with the dyed bright red strand that never failed to make Yukina turn to look when she saw the color red, wondering if it could be her. The smile that made Yukina's heart beat wildly out of her chest, unlike anything she'd ever felt before.

Ran's smile paired with her lips, a natural shade of soft pink, like the cherry blossoms above them. Irresistible, soft, delicate. More than anything else in the world, the grey haired girl wanted to--

Yukina steps closer, cupping her cheek with her hand. “Ran,” she says, first name basis only used in her dreams, and her wildest fantasies. “I've wanted to do this for so long. To hold you, gently, and to be able to tell you just how much I love you…” 

Ran smiles, more beautiful than the array of cherry blossoms above them. A sight so gorgeous Yukina can't believe anyone in the world would dare proclaim beauty when the sight in front of her existed.

“I love you too,” Ran begins, grasping one of Yukina's hands with her own. “Yukina.”

And just like that, hands entwined, their faces get closer, and closer, lips just about to touch. Yukina's finally going to see and feel if they were as soft as they looked. If Ran tasted as sweet as she smelled.

Just as their lips have begun to brush up against one another, Yukina Minato opens her eyes and jolts upright in bed.

“Oh.” She mumbles, obviously disappointed. “It was just a dream.” Yukina checks the time on her phone. It's about ten minutes before she should start getting ready, so maybe she'll just lay there a little bit longer.

Truthfully, she wanted to go back to sleep and dream again. So she could see the conclusion of her dream. Of course, there was always the option of attempting to make that dream a reality, but… 

Yukina scoffs, pulling out a journal from her side table. She clicks the pen that's clipped onto the front of it and begins scribbling down her dream, face scrunching up with disappointment as she does.

Dreams were important to have. But this dream just frustrated her. Of course, she loved every second of it.

Reluctantly, she pulls herself out of bed and gets ready, eats breakfast, brushes her teeth, and leaves her house.

Yukina walks to school, thinking about the cat treats she kept in a plastic bag. Hana said it was a good idea, and she was right. Hopefully, today, it'd work out and the grey haired girl could  _ pet  _ the cat today. Right now, that was her motivation. 

She pulls out her phone and opens Twitter, refreshing her timeline several times in a row. Nothing new or interesting. With a slightly bitter taste in her mouth, she retweets some photos of Ran taken at a live.

She looks so happy. Shining like a million starts. Yukina saves the image, feeling her lips curl up into a smile before she'd even realized it. She knows she needs to kick that habit, because too many times Lisa, Sayo, Ako and Rinko had almost discovered her separate account because of the expression on her face.

Thankfully, she was able to easily pass it off, and it's not like any of them were going to break into her phone. Besides, she had a password. It wouldn't be a cakewalk to get into. Idly, she starts typing.

_ lrt ran's so cute… her smile the first thing in the morning is filling me with strength _

_ i had a nice dream. so nice that i'm kinda mad that i'm awake right now. i want to dream a little bit longer. _

Yukina wonders if she'll get a reply from Hana this early. Yesterday, Hana posted around this time, when the grey haired girl was still in class. She wasn't able to reply until she got home, though. Which was a shame, but it resulted in a nice conversation, so… it was fine.

She mulls it over in her head while exchanging her shoes in her locker, slipping the other pair of shoes on. She makes her way to her classroom, slipping her phone into her bag. 

There's still a little bit before class starts, so Yukina refreshes Twitter again, and finds herself immediately perking up. Not just one reply, but  _ two. _

_ You really like her, huh? I'm glad you can be cheerful in the morning:)  _

_ I hope you slept well. I don't often have dreams like that, but when I do it's tempting to skip class and sleep.  _

Yukina glances upwards at the clock, despite the fact she had one on her phone, too. More students were slowly filling in through the front gates. 

_ i do. and me too. it's rare i'm this cheerful. it was a cute picture, after all……. i wish i went to that live so i could have seen her cute face in person  _

_ i did, thank you. that's how i felt. getting up was rather difficult today _

_ what about you, hana? how did you sleep? well, i hope _

Several minutes pass with no response, and the teacher walks in, greeting the class. Somewhat reluctantly, Yukina puts away her phone.

She half listens to the lecture, mind wandering. Yukina absentmindedly stares out the window, narrowing her eyes as she sees a familiar group come into view.

The five members of Afterglow were making a mad dash for the school gates. They seemed to be bickering, but all of them had matching grins, even Ran.

Yukina stares. She ignores the feelings rising up in her chest, one that felt suspiciously like longing, and the familiar feeling of jealousy. 

Soon, it becomes too much to bare, and she ignores the band entirely, choosing instead to actually pay attention in class. But because Yukina does this, she misses Ran pause, and stare up into the window the grey haired girl was sitting next to.

The expression of longing matched Yukina's. But Ran kept walking.

* * *

 

Thankfully, Yukina loses herself in her school work for the day and suddenly all the negative feelings she had disappear entirely. 

She makes her way out of the school, the cat treats safely in her jacket pocket. Yukina takes her normal route home. Distantly, she feels like a character in one of Rinko and Ako's video games. If this  _ was  _ a video game, then right here and now would be a boss battle. 

Or maybe more like a mini-boss... who knows. Yukina couldn't boast her knowledge of video games. She ignores her brain suddenly playing any dramatic RPG music it recalls. Which turns out to be a lot.

The vocalist stares at the black cat sitting on a fence, idly licking its paw. Yukina can feel her heart start to beat faster and an embarrassing grin make its way on her face. Cats were  _ so _ cute it was absolutely unreal.

She bends down, walking slowly closer while making a clicking noise with her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “Here, kitty-kitty…” Yukina just barely resists the urge to start gushing over how cute it was.

Barely. 

She carefully pulls a treat out of her pocket, slipping it into her palm and inching closer. She's close enough to touch, now. But she needs to be patient. Very patient, and very careful.

The cat sniffs her hand, and then paws at the treat, knocking it on the ground. It happily eats the treat from there. Yukina feels just a little bit saddened by the fact it didn't eat out of her hand, but the fact it ate from her at all was a start.

The cat turns back to her. Yukina forgets how to breathe as the cat takes several steps closer, and tentatively sniffs her hand. The grey haired girl stops breathing all together, watching as the cat gets closer… and then licks her hand.

She resists all urge to scream. That is  _ so  _ cute. That's the cutest thing ever. Almost as cute as the photo of Ran she saw recently. That's  _ soooooo cuuuuute,  _ Yukina imagines Lisa squeeing because she can't imagine it in her own voice.

The cat walks away and Yukina pitifully reaches out, feeling her heart break just a tiny bit. But this was a step further, wasn't it?! Next time, for sure, she could actually pet the cat. For sure. Absolutely. 

Probably. 

Yukina loses track of how long she's been sitting there, still in position to pet the cat that long skittered away. Lost in thought, she doesn't hear the footsteps behind her.

“Um. Minato-san. What is it you're doing?”

_ Oh shit.  _

Yukina immediately stands up and turns around, lifting her school bag up with her right hand and dusting herself off with the other. “Nothing. I was just…”

She watches the black haired girl's expression of confusion and something that looked like pity. It partially made Yukina mad. The other half of those feelings she didn't fully understand. Besides, she was too focused on how to not seem like an idiot. It was probably too late for that, though.

_ Just what? Examining the ground? Think, Yukina!  _ She avoids all eye contact as her thoughts rapidly swirl around.

“Well, I don't really care what you're doing.” Ran says, walking off. “It's not like it matters to me.” 

_ Guh. There it is, the final boss.  _ Yukina resists the urge to lay on the ground again, feeling like she just took enough damage to insta-kill her. 

“Someone, revive me…” The grey haired girl walks back home, sulking.

* * *

Ran enters her house, slipping off her shoes as she always does. She's humming under her breath with a smile on her face. “I'm home!”

Her dad looks up from where he's sitting. “Welcome home, Ran. ...Did something happen? You're smiling really wide.”

The vocalist smiles wider in response, happy flush dusting her cheeks. Her eyes practically sparkle. “I guess you could say that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> everyone @ yukina: wow...so cool.....so serene, i wonder what she's thinking
> 
> yukina: [THINKING ABOUT RPG MUSIC] ARE YOU THE FINAL BOSS?!
> 
> uh, anyways. good morning everyone!! i hope you enjoyed this chapter. i'm sorry if it's a little bit short, lol... i don't really have much else to say here.
> 
> i really like romantic comedies. i don't know if you noticed 
> 
> as always! my twitter is @shindouchrono! feel free to leave me a kudo, a comment, or hmu on twitter! it'd really make my day. in any case! have a good day and thanks so much for reading 💕


	4. jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lisa has a mischievous grin her lips. “You're gonna do it? Oh, Moca. You sly fox.”
> 
> Moca puts her hands on her hips and puffs out her chest, obviously proud of herself. “Leave it all up to Moca-chan!”

Moca’s shift at the convenience store has been all together uneventful. There haven’t been many customers despite the time of day, and she slumps over on the counter, letting out a long sigh. 

Lisa giggles. “Moca, are you bored? I guess we’ve had a pretty slow day, haven’t we?”

She nods, sighing again. “That reminds me, Lisa-san. How goes the thing we were talking about~?” 

Her coworker smiles and pulls out her phone. “Great, actually. It looks like they're finally starting to be honest. Well, at least on Twitter.”

Displayed on her phone screen is the accounts of both Fuyu and Hana-- or rather, the side of accounts of Yukina and Ran.

“They think they're so smart, huh~ little did they know we had them figured out since the beginning~!”

Lisa smiles. “Mhm! And because we're such a good team, Moca.”

She nods, happily. “Yup~ it's cause we're such a Tsugureffic team~ Moca-chan and Lisa-san.” Moca pauses. “But isn't this pace so slow? At this rate, it's gonna take another year.”

The brunette solemnly nods. “You're right, Moca. What we need is a way to make them realize their feelings, and to finally know what they want from each other. Do you have any ideas?”

Moca idly scrolls through Fuyu's account, humming under her breath. She pauses at a particular tweet, and brandishes it to Lisa with a Moca flare. “This one.” 

Lisa reads it out loud. “‘Hm… it's a little embarrassing to admit, but it's probably fine to say. i saw someone that I--’ geez, just say you like her! ‘Being touchy feely with their friends.’ 

She pauses to take a breath. “‘It's not out of the ordinary for them, I believe. but I couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous. I wonder if that's bad of me?’

“After that, she just says they aren't together… what are you thinking, Moca?”

“Fufu, it's simple! She's the jealous type, right? All we need to do is to get her to act out, and then Ran will be so swept off her feet by Yukina's actions they'll have a moment of tender romance--”

“That's a good plan, Moca. But how are we gonna make Yukina jealous in the first place? Wait, do you mean--” Lisa pauses, mischievous grin suddenly on her lips. “You're gonna do it? Oh, Moca. You sly fox.”

She puts her hands on her hips and puffs out her chest, obviously proud of herself.  “Leave it all up to Moca-chan!”

* * *

 

It only takes around a week for the situation they need to arise. Within that time, not much out of the ordinary happens. Yukina and Ran don't talk.

Fuyu and Hana talk the way they've been doing.

The convenience store door opens, and Ran walks in. She waves at Lisa and Moca. “Hello.” 

“Raaaaaan~” Moca calls, stretching her arms out. “You're exactly what Moca-chan needs on this cold winter day. Warm me up, Ran~”

Ran goes pink and rolls her eyes. “Uh-huh. Sure, I'll warm you up.” She pulls out a scarf and throws it at her best friend. Moca's face reappears from under it after a couple of seconds.

“Wahh. Ran, so mean. You could have killed me.” She wraps it around her neck. Ran sighs.

“Yes, yes. I'm sorry for trying to murder you. I just figured it was cold, and you said you forgot your scarf. Even though literally everyone else remembered theirs today.” She gestures over at Lisa, who is wearing a scarf. 

Moca pays this no heed, looking content to be buried in her scarf. She looks over at Lisa, who's looking at the door. She winks at Moca.

“Raaann… c'mere.”

Ran leans in, raising an eyebrow. Moca places both her hands on Ran's cheeks, giggling and smiling. The door to the store opens.

“Your face is so warm!” Moca coos. She turns her head to smile at the customer that just walked in. 

Ran pulls away and looks over at the one who walked in. “Minato-san.” Her voice is curt, but she looks embarrassed. 

“Mitake-san.” Yukina's frown is even deeper than usual. She  _ glares  _ at every single person in the room, not even softening to look at Lisa. “Over text you said you were confused about the schedule for tomorrow. I printed it out and lined the most important parts. Does this make more sense, Lisa?”

“Oh! Thanks, Yukina!” She quickly scans it and then gives a thumbs up. “It's perfect! You're the best ☆.”

Yukina looks away, as if to say  _ not yet.  _ “You're welcome. But you're wrong. Not yet. We can still work harder.”

The black haired girl crosses her arms over her chest. “One day, you're gonna straight collapse from overwork, you know that?”

“As if I'd be so weak and stupid to make such a mistake like that. Don't patronize me.”

“Excuse me?” Ran whirls around to glare at her. Her arms are still crossed. “You're plenty stupid already, Minato-san.”

“Name-calling, Mitake-san? I knew you were younger than me, but I didn't think that you'd resign to primary school insults.”

“I'm so sorry, does  _ dumbass _ work better for you?”

Yukina grits her teeth. “What was that?”

With a grin, Ran walks a step closer to the other vocalist. “Sorry. Your hearing's going with old age?”

“I just don't speak idiot.” Yukina replies, stepping closer. They're glaring into each other's eyes. Their faces are  _ very  _ close. 

“Um,” Lisa starts. “Can you two not fight?”

As if suddenly made aware of how close they were standing, they step away from each other and avoid eye contact. Ran's ears are red.

“We weren't fighting.” Ran mutters, frowning. 

“No, you definitely were just now…” Lisa lets out a light laugh, probably to ease the tension. It doesn't quite work. Moca looks relaxed, though.

“Raaann, come here. Moca-chan will cheer you up.” She gestures Ran back over and then replaces her hands on the other girl's cheeks. “I'll recharge you with my infinite power.”

“Infinite?” The dark haired girl asks, almost amused. Her shoulders are still tense and she's hyperaware of Yukina's presence. “It's only infinite until you run out of bread.”

Moca giggles. “There are other ways!” 

“Like what?”

She leans forward, hands resting on the counter. Moca kisses Ran softly on the cheek and then pulls back with a wide grin.

Ran's face goes red. Moca's expression doesn't change. Lisa's looking over towards Yukina, tapping Moca's leg underneath the counter to get her attention.

“Excuse me,” Yukina's voice is filled to the brim with malice and rage. She unconsciously steps closer to Ran, standing in between her and Moca. “Could you please refrain from doing such things? Thanks.” Her tone is filled with bite.

She looks like a guard dog, poised and ready to attack. 

Moca and Lisa make very brief eye contact. 

“Aww, Yukina. There's no reason to be so jealous. Ran and Moca are just friends!”

“What? Who ever said I was  _ jealous _ ? Why would I be jealous, Lisa? Please, give me your reasoning.”

Lisa simply gestures to Yukina. She's still standing in front of Ran, with one of her hands tightly grabbing onto Ran's. 

Wow. She doesn't remember doing that.

Yukina quickly lets go. “That is completely unrelated. Now if you'll excuse me. I have to go right now. Immediately. Lisa. We'll talk tomorrow.” 

And with that, she briskly walks out of the store without saying anything else. Ran's looking down at her hand, cheeks as red as the dyed strand of her hair.

She clears her throat. “Uh. What just happened?”

Moca and Lisa simply giggle.

* * *

 

Yukina slams her door shut. No one else is in the house. There wasn't even a point in shutting her door. She's filled with an uncontrollable, unbecoming, and somewhat childish anger.

She throws her bag on the ground, glaring down at it like it killed her first born. She paces around the room for fifteen minutes and seventeen seconds, and then throws herself face first into bed.

“What possessed me just then? Why was I acting so--so…!” Lisa's words ring in her ears. “Jealous. No, I'm not… jealous, or anything. I'm not. At least, not like that, not in public. She doesn't know. Mitake-san doesn't know. She can't know.”

There was no way that made her realize Yukina's feelings, right? But, the way she was acting. She held Ran's hand. It was so soft and so warm, but she can't even feel happy about that. 

Because it was Moca that warmed those hands up, not Yukina. She wanted it to be her, instead. She wanted…

She didn't want to fight with Ran. She wanted to hold her hand gently, and to confess how she felt. Yukina wanted to kiss her softly. But instead, they fought.

Yukina sighs into her favorite pillow.

“We aren't even dating. There's no reason for me to be so possessive of her.”

She glances over at her bag on the floor. The contents have spilled everywhere, including her phone. It's tempting to pull out her phone, listen to music, listen to  _ anything _ to get all the thoughts she was having out of her mind.

Fuyu could post something, and maybe Hana would be online. Her presence was like sunlight. So warm and so comforting. But Yukina doesn't want to. She doesn't want to confront her feelings more than she already had. She doesn't want to think about it. She doesn't have the energy to.

Fuyu doesn't tweet. Yukina closes her eyes.

* * *

Ran walks circles around her bedroom, trying to process what happened at the convenience store. She went home immediately after Yukina did, give or take ten minutes. Her dad seemed to be out.

Yukina grabbed her hand. 

The dark haired girl fiddles with her hands as she walks, trying to burn all the excess energy. She felt like she was going to absolutely lose it.

Was what Lisa was saying true? Was Yukina jealous? There was no way though, right? Because if Yukina was jealous, that'd imply Yukina had feelings for Ran and that definitely wasn't true. There's no way it could be mutual. No way in hell.

But the way Yukina had stepped in front of Ran, grabbing her hand and practically barking at Moca. The vocalist can feel her heart speed up at the memory. 

Who knew Yukina was that type. Not that Ran believes Yukina had feelings for her and thus would be jealous, but who knew that she might be. Ran can feel herself get confused with her own thoughts. They're slightly dizzying.

Yukina's hands were nice. They felt almost cool, which was pleasant against Ran's own. 

Ran wished they could have been holding hands for a different reason. Like on a date. Or as… girlfriends, or something. Even just platonically, or whatever. Just… not fighting.

The vocalist knew she picked the fight because she was worried about Yukina overworking herself like Tsugumi did. And even though Yukina didn't know about that situation, Ran still got angry when the other girl basically called Tsugumi stupid.

Besides, all Yukina ever talked about was reaching greater heights, and becoming better. That frustrated Ran for a multitude of reasons. If she took Afterglow out of the mixture, it was because…

Ran wishes Yukina could be satisfied with what she was, rather than working herself to the bone. Ran didn't think Yukina was perfect by any means. And it wasn't as if she wanted her to stop striving for improvement. 

She just wished Yukina could love herself subjectively. Ran wished Yukina could see herself the way Ran did.

“I wish she loved herself the way I loved her.”

But then again, she'd probably be even more insufferable. Ran puts Afterglow back into the mix. She hated how Yukina would look down at Afterglow, because they apparently didn't reach Roselia's standards of perfection.

Afterglow wasn't perfect. They weren't supposed to be. Their flaws and their hardships were what made them who they were. Without their struggles, they wouldn't exist. By being imperfect, Afterglow  _ was  _ perfect. 

They could always improve and always be better, but to Ran their same as usual was all she had ever wanted. She didn't want the place she had with them to change. She was afraid of change, afraid of losing everything she'd always held so dear.

But no matter what happened, she'd never be alone. They'd always,  _ always _ be there. Ran knew she could never lose the place she truly belonged.

She thinks back to Yukina's tight grip on her hand, and Ran sits down on her bed, hugging one of her favorite plushies. Her cheeks are red. 

“Why was she so possessive of me… it's not even like we're dating.”

She reaches for her phone. Hana writes out a tweet.  _ I'm really happy right now _

Ran squeezes her eyes shut. She's smiling. Right now, she was happy enough to write three thousand million songs and then some. Maybe, just maybe, her feelings were mutual. She wouldn't get her hopes up, but…

Ran opens her eyes, still smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lisa: ehehe ☆  
> ran, in tears: how did you do that with your mouth 
> 
> ANYWAYS i hope you enjoyed! also happy birthday ran... i hope everynyan smothers u in love and yukina drowns u in kisses
> 
> i hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! i had a lot of fun writing it lol especially their argument it was fun. if yoh enjoyed it feel free to leave me a kudo, comment, or hmu on twitter @shindouchrono! thanks for reading this far in my long ass authors notes! i hope you have a great day


	5. i won't repeat this

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It wasn’t some stupid crush. It was more than the rivalry they had. It was more than how they argued. It wasn’t Hana being in love with Yukina. It was, but it was more than that.
> 
> Ran was in love with Yukina.

Ran rubs her hands together, irritated by how hard to walk it was in the kimono her father insisted she wore for the New Year’s festivities. She was way more comfortable in her normal clothes, really! But when her father asked her to there was no way she’d refuse.

She reaches for her phone. Ran had recently realized she’s gotten worse at refusing things. So when Tomoe asked Ran for help with Ako’s kimono, there was no way she’d say no. After all, Tomoe was her best friend, and Ako was practically family to Ran.

The walk doesn’t take as long as it feels, and Ran’s ringing the doorbell in no time. She can faintly hear signs of life, two voices, no--three? Three voices? That’s weird. Their parents weren’t supposed to be home yet, since they always went out for a New Year’s dinner.

Maybe she was just imagining it, but Ran’s heart jolts and she’s suddenly a bit anxious.

The door opens, and Tomoe looks a little bit frazzled. “Yo, Ran! Uh, it was short notice so I didn’t get to tell you, but we have another person over--”

Ran makes eye contact with someone she didn’t expect. Not Ako, not Tomoe. She makes eye contact with the person she wanted to see the most and, somehow, the least. Fuck. No, she hadn’t finished processing everything from the week prior.

Moca and Lisa at the store, and…

“Mitake-san.” Yukina greets. Her hair’s tied up in a ponytail and she’s wearing a long skirt, a long sleeved shirt, a heavy peacoat, a scarf, and a pair of gloves. Ran almost wants to laugh, because Yukina looks like an awfully snug teddy bear.

Tomoe has her head in her hands.

“Minato-san.”

Meanwhile, Ako rushes to hug Ran around the waist. Her hair is uncharacteristically down, curls cascading down her back. She’s wearing a casual outfit that Ran’s used to seeing. “You look so pretty!”

“Thank you.” Ran tries to ignore the feeling of Yukina’s eyes baring into her. She slips off her shoes and slides on a pair of slippers. “Tomoe, do you have the kimono in the other room?”

“Yup. Same as always.”

Ran laughs, lightly and softly. “Okay. Come on, Ako. Let’s go get ready. Tomoe, do you know what time we’re meeting up with everyone else? Or are they coming here?”

“Mm, well,” The redhead sneaks an unsubtle glance at Yukina and shrugs her shoulders. “Pretty sure they’re coming here? Ako said once she’s ready, her and Minato are gonna head out.”

“Okay.”

When Ran leaves the entryway, following Ako, she sees Yukina looking away. Her arms are crossed and she looks very distinctly unhappy.

Ran runs on autopilot as she helps Ako get dressed. She’s still lost in her own head. Earlier, she had entertained the thought that maybe, Yukina acting out, acting jealous, could be a sign that the other vocalist liked Ran. But now her behaviour didn’t make any sense at all.

...A compliment would be nice, at the very least.

Then again, how would Ran react if Yukina complimented her like that? A curt thank you. But how would she want to respond? A gentle thank you? Would she return the compliment, and admit that she thought Yukina looked beautiful?

It made her head spin. Besides, they really weren’t the complimenting type. It was only recently that they fought, too. Maybe Ran should have apologized for that, but that felt like she was losing so she didn’t want to. At all.

She’d need to seek Yukina out to do that, too. Or like, text her, or something. Both options are incredibly embarrassing and Ran was going to avoid them both like the plague.

“Are you okay?” Ako asks, tilting her head at Ran. She resembles Tomoe so closely sometimes that it gives the dark haired girl whiplash.

“I’m okay.” She replies, but it sounds hollow. “Um… well, I am, but I’m just...ugh. Are you… close with Minato-san? I mean, you’re in a band together and all. I mean, not like--I particularly care if you’re close or not, but--I mean, I do, but…”

Ako snorts. “I think we are! We didn’t used to, but I think we are now. We’ve been through a lot, after all. How come?”

Ran scratches her own cheek, adjusting the fabric around Ako’s waist. She fixes everything, hands moving fast and gentle with a delicate flourish. “No… particular reason. I just, um… I don’t know. She’s really hard for me to figure out.”

“Ehehe, isn’t she?” She looks a bit happy, twirling around, looking unbothered by the kimono’s restriction to her movement. “I didn’t understand her at first, either. Sometimes I still don’t. But it’s like that with you, too, right? With other people?”

Ran nods her head. “Yeah. Not particularly with Minato-san, though. But I don’t think I need to tell you that we don’t really get along.”

“I guess that’s true.” Ako replies. “But before she came, she was asking about you.”

Her heart jolts in her chest and she back at Ako, unsure of the expression on her own face. Ran’s self conscious enough that she doesn’t want to look in the mirror. “Minato-san did?”

“Mhm.” Ako closes her eyes when Ran pushes a strand of her hair back to put a flower hair clip in it. “I told her you were coming to help me with my kimono, and she asked if you did that often. I said yes, because it was true. She just kinda responded in her own way, with the-- _I see._

“--But that’s really just how she is.” Ako breaks out of the pose she used to impersonate Yukina, hand over her heart and sharp glare in her eyes. “I think you’re hard for her to figure out, too. She can be hard to read sometimes, but also she’s really honest in the way she acts. But I guess the way she acts can sometimes be the opposite of how she feels…” Ako nods her head, arms crossed.

Ran fidgets. “Can’t say I don’t know anyone like that.”

“I mean, tsunderes are pretty common nowadays, right?”

...Seriously, those sisters were way too similar. Someone needed to ban the word tsundere from their dictionary. Wait--no, wait, go back--was Ako even vaguely implying that Yukina would be tsundere for her? That meant that Yukina liked her, right? Maybe? Maybe not?

Ugh. Her head hurt.

There’s a light knock on the door.

“Come in!”

The door opens, and Yukina enters. Her eyes widen a little bit, but her gaze softens. “You look lovely, Ako. I just came to tell you that Rinko and Sayo are already there. Lisa’s… probably still getting ready.” She looked a little bit happy.

Ran feels weird.

No, more than weird. She feels a little bit sick. Or like there was something crawling on her. Or maybe--or maybe she felt angry? Or sad?

“Thank you!! We should get going then, right?” Ako slips out of the chair, standing up, straightening her back. The pair of them exit, but Ran doesn’t follow. She stares at herself in the mirror.

Gently, she touches her reflection. Ran blinks, and then gently bonks her head against the mirror. She was jealous, wasn’t she?

The black haired girl shuts her eyes, trying to process the emotion running through her head. Okay. Maybe...maybe, maybe, just maybe…

She’d accepted a long time ago that she probably liked Yukina, right? She knew that. But why did it feel like she was realizing it all for the first time? Why did it suddenly hurt?

Why did it suddenly burn like she’d put her palm flat against a stovetop?

A tear drips down her cheeks and she’s shocked. Ran brushes it away, confused. In the mirror, she can see that the door is still ajar. More tears far and she’s just as embarrassed as she is annoyed about the sudden waterworks. But they just keep coming.

Oh. She loved Yukina, huh.

It wasn’t some stupid crush. It was more than the rivalry they had. It was more than how they argued. It wasn’t Hana being in love with Yukina. It was, but it was more than that.

Ran was in love with Yukina.

Arms wrap around her neck, gentle and soft and kind, a smell Ran recognizes. Tomoe looks worried, and doesn’t let go. “Ran. What’s wrong? Tell me.”

Ran doesn’t know how to say. She doesn’t know how to respond other than by crying more. Tomoe helps her stand and hugs her tightly. Ran buries her face in Tomoe’s chest and cries.

“I think--I think that I might be in love with Yukina.”

Tomoe wipes the tears off of Ran’s face and brushes her bangs back, out of her face. “You finally admitted it, huh, Ran? C’mon, let’s go to the living room and talk. Ako and her already left, so we can just talk until everyone else gets here. Sound good?”

Ran nods her head, gripping tightly onto the fabric of Tomoe’s shirt.

 

* * *

 

The two of them sit on the couch, and Ran pulls her legs up on the couch as best she can, head resting on Tomoe’s shoulder. “I don’t really know when it started. But, recently, like, I think a week ago, I went to go give Moca a scarf since she forgot hers. And then Minato-san was there, and Moca was being Moca and holding my hands and suddenly Minato-san was really angry. She seemed really angry and she grabbed my hand out of Moca’s.

“Lisa-san joked that Minato-san was jealous, and Minato-san got really defensive and ran off. And I was--I was so happy at the prospect of her being jealous. I was so happy I felt like I could cry. Because it meant that maybe, she liked me back. And seeing her now… It all just boiled over. And then I realized that I was kind of jealous too. And… that I…” Ran trails off.

Tomoe strokes her hair. “Good job, Ran. It must have been hard to admit this, especially since… you’re, well, tsundere and stubborn to your core.”

“That’s rich coming from you.” Ran snorts. “You two need to be banned from using the word tsundere. I thought this earlier but I might seriously ban you two from it.”

“Ehh, that’s kinda mean.” The redhead laughs, loud and good natured. It’s comforting, like a crackling fire. “But, can I ask something? You said Moca asked for a scarf, and also Minato showed up? At the same time?”

“Yeah.” Ran replies, rubbing at her eyes to survey Tomoe’s expression. “What’s that face for?”

“Nothing yet. I just figure we should ask our Moca a couple of questions when she gets here. Which isn’t gonna be long, I bet.”

The rest of Afterglow show up about ten minutes later. They all immediately spot Ran on the couch.

“Ran-chan!” Tsugumi says, walking over to take a spot next to her on the couch. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve been crying…”

Himari’s next to sit down, rubbing soothing circles into Ran’s back and she seriously might cry again. Moca’s the third, resting her head on Himari’s shoulder.

“Don’t cry, Raaan… we’re all here for you. What’s wrong?”

Ran’s embarrassed, because being honest was easier on paper than it was in actual, real life. Tomoe catches her eye, giving the vocalist a thumbs up. “Okay. Don’t freak out.”

Himari grabs her hand. “Are you okay?! What’s happening, Ran?!”

“Um,” Tomoe interrupts, looking just a little bit amused. “You guys need to let her speak, you know.”

“Sorry…” Himari says, expression the mirror image of a kicked puppy.

Ran clears her throat, feeling her cheeks preemptively turn red. “So, uh. I realized a little bit ago that I might… I might, um…” She lowers her voice. _“JustbealittlebitinlovewithMinato-san.”_

“I--didn’t catch that, Ran-chan?” Tsugumi asks, head tilting, hand on Ran’s elbow. “Sorry, can you repeat it…? I know it’s hard for you, but, um…”

“Moca-chan heard her loud and clear! Ran said that her father is actually an alien and soon they need to return to their home planet to prepare for the takeover of humanity!” She has a huge grin on her face, and Ran rubs her temples. “It’s okay, Ran! I’ve got your back! We’ll support you no matter what!”

“Moca, that’s not what I said--!”

“No need to deny it, Ran~” Moca nods her head, looking satisfied. “As long as you don’t forget us measly humans, I’ll always love you~”

“Geez, I thought we were done writing manga!” Ran snaps, turning to fully look at her best friend. “I said I was in love with Minato-san!”

Oh, wow, that was loud. She sure did say that really loudly. Wow, even Moca looks a little bit shell shocked.

Ran stands up. “Huh. I think I hear my dad calling me from my house. Right now. You know, it’s a real shame that we can’t spend New Years together, but I actually need to leave!”

Tomoe grabs her by her sleeve before she can escape, though. “Before that, Moca. I wanted to ask you. Ran was telling me something really interesting. That you told her to come to the convenience store to drop off a scarf? And that Minato just happened to show up.”

Moca pointedly looks away. “Well~ coincidences happen, right?”

“Do they, now?” Tomoe presses.

“I-if you’ll excuse me, I think the bread at Yamabuki bakery is calling me, so Moca-chan has to--”

“That joke’s already overused, Moca.” Ran replies, finally catching on. She grabs Moca’s hand, looking her in the eyes. “Explain it, already.” 

 

* * *

 

After about thirty minutes, Moca explains everything. Her whole plan with Lisa, how both of them knew Yukina’s feelings for Ran, and Ran’s feelings for Yukina. Moca snuggles into Ran’s shoulder. “I thought it was super obvious this whole time, but I guess Ran didn’t realize~ Moca-chan and Lisa-san got tired of their stupid best friends being so oblivious~”

“It’s not like this is a romantic comedy, Moca!” Ran frowns. “You shouldn’t have been doing something like that.”

“Yeah, but~ would you really have done anything if we didn’t?”

Ran pauses.

“I… guess not.”

Himari has a small smile on her face. “It’s kinda romantic, isn’t it, though? That both you and her like each other.”

“I--I mean, it’s not like we know Minato-san likes me back, or anything.”

Tomoe stands up from her seat on the couch, straightening her button-down shirt. “I mean, it’s New Years. We’re going to the same festival. Anything could happen, right?”  


“For someone who just scolded Moca about meddling, it seems like you’re about to do the same thing.” Ran narrows her eyes at the redhead, who simply laughs.

“I won’t. Promise. But it seems like you’re a little bit different now, right?”

Ran shrugs her shoulders, but stands. “I don’t know about that. But we should get going before it’s too late, right?”

Everyone else agrees, and they make their way out of the house with their arms laced together. They’re talking, and laughing, and Ran has a smile on her face.

“I’m really glad I told all of you how I felt.”

Tsugumi smiles at her, bright as the morning sun. “Ehehe. I’m glad you told us, Ran-chan.”

“Mhm!” Himari agrees, eyes sparkling like stars. “After all, you deserve to be happy. Maybe this New Year will be eventful?”

“As if Minato-san and I will even meet. There’s gonna be a lot of people there.”

“Well,” Tomoe starts, looking up at the sky. “It’s a small world, right? And coincidences happen, as Moca said. If you both like each other, maybe something like the movies will happen. Something really romantic, like you’ll both run into each other as the stars shine--”

“Uwah, did Tomo-chin find someone to love without telling any of us?” Moca asks, mock-offended. “Or maybe she’s been watching a lot of romantic movies~?”

They all laugh, and Ran’s chest feels light.

 

* * *

 

Yukina regrets not layering her clothes more. It’s cold. It’s cold, even with all the layers she was wearing. She’s only half listening to the chatters of Lisa and Ako, their voices distinct even in the loud chatter of the crowd. Yukina leans up against a wall, arms crossed.

“Minato-san,” Sayo greets. “Are you alright? You’ve been awfully quiet.”

“I’m alright.” Yukina responds, before thinking it through. “...I wonder about that, though. Truthfully, I feel a little bit restless. And cold. A part of me regrets wearing so little.”

Sayo, for a half of a second, looks amused as she examines Yukina’s outerwear. “I see. Is there anything particular on your mind?”

Anything particular? No.

Anyone in particular? Yes.

Yukina couldn’t get the sight of Ran in the kimono out of her head. How… how was it possible for someone so beautiful to exist. It made her angry, somehow. Ran looked so breathtakingly gorgeous that Yukina was suddenly worried nothing else could compare.

“Perhaps I’m a little bit frustrated.” She admits, surprised at her own honesty. “I saw something beautiful. It’s unbecoming, but I was starstruck by that beauty. But I’m just as disgusted by that beauty as I am dazzled. I don’t understand...how such a thing could exist.”

Sayo surveys her expression carefully, and then slowly nods her head. “I think I understand what you mean.” And then her expression changes to something soft. To something delicate. “I think I understand what you mean very well. I… recently discovered that there was beauty in places I didn’t expect it.”

Yukina feels a smile brew on her lips. “You mean with Hazawa-san?”

Sayo’s cheeks flush pink and she looks away. “I-I wonder about that…”

“It’s okay if it’s true. I won’t chide you for your feelings, and I didn’t mean to tease you. It’s just that you aren’t...subtle.”

“...Indeed.” Sayo clears her throat, obviously embarrassed. “In any case, I wonder if it’s alright to chide you for yours? You aren’t very honest with yourself.”

Yukina raises a brow, watching her bandmate carefully. “What do you mean?” She asks, hoping to seem unassuming.

Sayo turns her head, gesturing behind Yukina and she turns, and the vocalist’s heart catches in her chest. Afterglow had just arrived, Roselia’s rival. But Yukina was looking at only one of them. Only one caught her eye.

The only person she’d ever felt this way towards. Suddenly, the crowd vanished. The hustle and bustle went silent, and Ran met Yukina’s eyes. They both stopped. Time stopped.

Ran looks away. Yukina looks back at Sayo.

“...I won’t pry, but you should talk to her.” She has a very...warm look in her eyes. Yukina’s a little bit confused, but filled with a little bit of courage. “After all, it’s the New Year. Even I feel more courageous than usual. Do you feel the same way, Minato-san?”

Yukina looks back at Ran, dazzled. Starstruck. So deeply, deeply in love. “Yes.” She replies, voice like a pin dropping. Her breath is caught in her throat in a way that makes herself sick and she can barely hear anything over the sound of her heartbeat. “I do.”

She watches as everyone seems to be talking to Ran, and her cheeks seem to be a little bit red, or maybe it was just the cold--but Yukina could hope. She could hope.

Tomoe is saying something that Yukina can’t make out, and the redhead pushes Ran lightly on the back, closer to the direction of Yukina herself. Ran’s shaking her head, saying something that Yukina assumes is-- _I can’t._

But then she sees Yukina standing there, staring, and the world disappears again. Tomoe doesn’t need to push her back, because Ran’s walking closer and Yukina is too. They walk until they’re face to face, close enough to reach out and touch each other.

“...Minato-san.”

“Mitake-san.”

They’ve fallen into old patterns, but something is different this time. Yukina’s heart is pounding so, so loudly. She reaches out to touch Ran’s hand, like she did before. But she’s gentle this time, trying her best to look Ran in the eyes.

Yukina decides that yes, that was a blush on her cheeks.

“...Would you like to accompany me somewhere quieter? I’ve...been wanting to talk to you, one-on-one. If that’s...alright, with you.”

Ran’s hands are warm. She nods, fingers curling around Yukina’s, their fingers laced together, fitting perfectly. “...Mm. That’s fine with me. I’ve been wanting to talk to you, too… there’s something I want to say to you.”

They walk off slowly, shoulders a distance apart. But as they walk, they get closer. They reach somewhere quiet, hidden by trees. There’s no one around, and the only noises are the distant chatter of crowds and the sounds of their matching heartbeats.

“Should we sit down?” Ran asks, quietly, sounding shy in a way Yukina’s never heard before.

She finds herself nodding, and the two of them don’t let go of each other’s hands. Ran’s close to Yukina, Yukina’s close to Ran.

Ran worries that Yukina could hear her heartbeat.

Yukina worries that Ran could hear her heartbeat.

 

But neither of them let go of one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh frick! we're getting somewhere now, huh
> 
> sorry for late update i'm depressed and writing hard SSJFDHGGHD, yall know how it is.............................but as always. feel free to kudo, comment, or rave about me on twitter! those last two will grant you my eternal love, though, and compliments always motivate me to move just a lil bit faster. a free pass to the dopamine machine
> 
> oh and my twitter is @shindouchrono, if you forgot, and you wanna come yell with me about these two idiots
> 
> i swear there's a conclusion to this i just couldn't resist the delicious cliffhanger. will they confess to each other, filled with courage because of the new year? are the rest of afterglow and roselia hiding behind a tree and listening? why am i writing a new year's scenario in the end of may? will the author update in a timely manner, especially since it left yall on a cliffhanger? only time will tell!
> 
> ps: tsugusayo real


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This is kind of awkward, isn’t it.” Ran says, expression deadpan. “Not--that it’s a bad thing, but it’s a little bit funny, isn’t it? We spend so much time arguing but now that...we’re here, we’re really quiet. I feel like there’s a lot I wanted to say but now my mind’s blank.”

“It’s a lot colder than I thought it would be.” Yukina says, finally, after a long stretch of silence between the two. The magic of the moment hasn’t faded, but the reality of them being two idiots in love with each other, suddenly alone, has hit them both like a truck.

Ran’s cheeks go a little bit pink, and she pulls the other vocalist a little bit closer. “Here. Is it warmer now?”

Yukina, in turn, flushes and nods. “...Indeed it is. Thank you, Mitake-san.”

Again, silence. The two of them sit next to each other, stuck on what to say. There was so much to say, but so little to say. Ran crosses and uncrosses her legs, and eventually clears her throat. “Um… you look nice.”

“Ah.” Yukina replies, sounding like the very pinnacle of intelligence and gobsmacked lesbianism. “Thank you. You… look lovely as well, Mitake-san.”

Ran doesn’t say anything in response, looking embarrassed, but the corners of her lips turn up and Yukina realizes that, wow, her lips so much more kissable up close. Yukina tightens her grip on Ran’s hand.

“This is kind of awkward, isn’t it.” The black haired girl says, expression deadpan. “Not--that it’s a bad thing, but it’s a little bit funny, isn’t it? We spend so much time arguing but now that...we’re here, we’re really quiet. I feel like there’s a lot I wanted to say but now my mind’s blank.”

“Mine too.” Yukina agrees, shifting her body towards the girl next to her. And she really does agree, but it was half a lie. Her mind wasn’t blank, because it was completely and totally honed in on how Ran’s lips parted when she talked, how they stayed flat in a line when she was simply staring off into the distance instead of at Yukina’s face, an expression drowning in longing.

She wanted to kiss Ran so bad she felt like she couldn’t breathe.

“Mitake-san,” Yukina starts, voice cracking slightly. She turns fully to face Ran, hand moving to rest on her thigh. “...Are you alright?”

“I’m okay.” Ran replies, smiling at her gently. “I just feel like my heart’s going to stop.”

“Mine too.”

Ran tilts her head, short hair falling with her movement. “You’ve said that twice already. Maybe I should be asking you if you’re okay.”

“I wonder about that.” Yukina doesn’t let go of Ran’s hand, but she raises her free hand, the one that was resting on Ran’s thigh, to caress the other girl’s face. “Mitake-san?”

“Yeah?” Her eyes have gone a little bit wide, but she leans in closer, moving so close to Yukina that there’s barely any distance between the two of them. Time stops, again. “What is it, Minato-san?”

“Can I kiss you?”

Ran slowly, slowly nods her head.

Yukina leans in, and their lips touch. Yukina finds herself almost in a trance, threading her hand through Ran’s hair. It’s almost as soft as her lips are and it’s everything she’d ever dreamed of and this moment is utter, utter _bliss._

They pull apart, staring into each other’s eyes like they were the last two in the entire world.

“Minato-san,” Ran’s voice catches in her throat and there’s something like tears brimming in her eyes and Yukina wonders if she’s crying, too. “Can we do that again?”

Yukina kisses Ran instead of responding.   


* * *

 

 From behind a tree, Moca whistles. “I told you they’d kiss.”

Himari elbows her in the back. “Shh, shh! I think they’re still talking.”

“Uh, no, they’re not, unless you consider sucking face talking.” Moca grins, elbowing Himari back. The two of them swabble like this as another voice pipes up.

“Are we really going to watch them?” Tsugumi’s speaking softly, hidden behind Tomoe’s shoulder. “Isn’t this an invasion of privacy.”

“I mean, we aren’t the only ones.” Tomoe gestures over to the tree adjacent from them. Four heads are peeking out, whispering at a volume the four of _them_ can hear. “Ako!” Tomoe whisper-yells, and her little sister whips her head around, letting out a surprised yelp.

“Hazawa-san?” Sayo asks, over Ako’s explanations of why they’re also watching, immediately looking embarrassed. The eight of them look over at their vocalists, who are still kissing and thus not paying any attention to the dumbasses that made up their respective bands, and decide to walk over to one another.

“Lisa-saaaan~” Moca calls, running into Lisa’s embrace. She doesn’t seem to care about her volume. “Moca-chan missed you so much.”

Lisa laughs, hugging Moca back and patting her head. “I missed you too. You all wanted to watch how it played out, too?”

Tomoe scratches the back of her head, looking a little bit guilty. “Yeah. We were just worried about Ran, y’know? I wasn’t sure if it’d end up with them arguing or not.”

Rinko nods her head. “...I agree. But it seems like it went well, doesn’t it?”

“Yup!” Lisa agrees. “We should probably head out before they see us. I’m not really up for a lecture from Yukina right on New Year’s~. I’m sure they’ll come back soon ☆.”

 

* * *

 

 They did come back, eventually. Before the next year had started, Ran and Yukina returned to their friends, hand in hand, looking just a little bit shy, but they both were smiling. Their friends, meanwhile, were trying to seem as innocent as possible.

“What’s with that face?” Ran asks, staring Moca dead in the eye. “Moca.”

“Nothing~ I was just thinking how cute Ran looked~!” Moca giggles, still latched onto Lisa’s arm.

The teasing doesn’t end for the rest of the night, and Yukina and Ran kiss again. Several times, even in front of their friends who all gasp and act very, very shocked.

The New Year approaches. There’s not much time left until the end of the year, and the ten of them sit and chat underneath the stars. Ran and Yukina don’t bicker, for once. They sit, hand in hand.

Sayo has her head resting on Tsugumi’s shoulder, eyes closed. Tsugumi kisses her girlfriend’s cheek, shaking her awake. “There’s only a couple minutes left, now.”

“It’s kind of weird. We’re rival bands, but we’re sitting here, together.” Tomoe says this with a smile on her face, leaning back on her hands. “I mean, it’s not like we hate each other.”

“We hate each other a little bit.” Ran snorts, and Yukina shakes her head and kisses Ran. “What? It’s true.”

“You can be honest for New Year’s, you know.” Lisa’s running her hands through Moca’s hair, looking incredibly amused. “Yukina, you too. We can have a truce for tonight, right? We’re still Roselia and Afterglow, rivals, but we like each other, too.”

“Some more than others.” Sayo presses a kiss to Tsugumi’s cheek, now that she’s sitting up, but still has her head resting on her girlfriend’s shoulder. She’s obviously sleepy and unexpectedly honest because of it. Tsugumi giggles.

“Do you have any New Year’s resolutions?” Ran asks, turning to Yukina. The other girl pauses, lost in thought.

“Be more honest… I suppose.” She smiles. “Is that something you need to work on too, Mitake-san?”

Ran shakes her head. “Hush.”

The clock ticks slowly forwards and the crowd gets louder. Finally, it’s midnight. The New Year. There are people around them, some cheering, some crying, but all of them happy, in one way or another.

Yukina catches Ran’s eye, and pulls her in for another kiss.

_“Happy New Year!”_

 

* * *

 

Ran changes out of her kimono, ignoring Moca’s sleepy mumbling about Ran’s current state of undress. There really wasn’t much of a point in going to the other room to change. They’ve been friends since they were kids and this was nothing new. Also, Ran didn’t care.

“Are you ever going to break out of the habit of randomly stripping?” Tomoe asks, but she’s discarded her clothes on the floor and is currently changing into the pair of pajamas kept at Himari’s house.

Ran simply shrugs her shoulders and pulls on a pair of shorts. “Probably not. I mean, it’s just you guys. It’s not like it’s weird or anything.”

“It’s only weird if you make it weird.” Moca agrees, face already buried in Himari’s pillow, ignoring the girl’s immediate protest, because they were all going to sleep downstairs, same as always. “It smells nice~ just like you~”

Tsugumi giggles. She’d already changed, and her hair is in short pigtails. “Ran-chan, would you do that if Minato-san was here?”

Ran promptly chokes on her spit, face turning as red as the dyed strip of her hair. “I--what?! Tsugumi!!”

Tsugumi laughs, and everyone else does, too, though Tomoe whistles and Ran whines.

“Oh my god, shut up.” She groans, through coughs and splutters.

Tomoe pats her back. “Please don’t die. That’d make for an awful New Year.”

“I mean, it’s been pretty good for you already, right?” Himari asks, swinging her legs. “Now that you’re dating Minato-san and all.”

“Huh?” Ran asks, looking genuinely confused. “What are you talking about? We aren’t dating.”

The room goes _dead silent,_ and Ran looks around at her friend’s shocked faces.

“But--” Himari starts, and Tomoe has her head buried in her hands. “But--you kissed, didn’t you? Didn’t you go off and confess to each other? What was all that gay talk and complimenting for if you didn’t actually date?”

“No, we didn’t confess or anything and--wait, hold on. Were you guys--”

“Moving on!” Tomoe cuts in, bead of sweat dripping down her face. “What do you mean, you two aren’t dating? Are you sure? Should you, like, ask her if you’re dating? Does she even know you like her?”

“No. I mean, maybe? She probably knows I like her. I don’t know.” Ran’s cheeks are still flushed, but distinctly less red than before. “...I’m not going to ask her if we’re dating.”

The four of them look at each other, and then back at Ran, who has her arms crossed.

Tomoe clears her throat. “You have her number, though, right?”

“Yeah.”

“You should message her and say something.” Tsugumi says, looking a little bit worried. “Just in case, you know? Wasn’t your resolution to be more honest, Ran-chan?”

“Well, New Year’s resolutions are meant to be broken. Can’t we just deal with this in the morning?”

Ran out stubborn them eventually, insisting she _would_ message Yukina in the morning, and they all lay in the middle of Himari’s living room floor, underneath blankets and futons and no less than twenty different pillows.

“Ran-chan,” Tsugumi starts, turning on her side to look at one of her best friends. “Are you still awake?”

Ran turns on her side, too. “Mm. Yeah. What’s up, Tsugumi?”

“I’m sorry if we were pushy earlier. I know it might be hard for you to process all that happened tonight.”

“...Yeah. It’s okay, though.” She looks up at the ceiling, and after a short pause, continues speaking. “I know I should talk to her, but I really don’t know what to say. Part of me wonders if it was a dream, even though I know it wasn’t. It just feels like it was. You’re right that...it’s hard for me to process.

“We kissed, and everything, but it’s not like...she said she liked me or anything. I mean, maybe she just kissed me. It was New Year’s. Maybe she doesn’t even like me. I mean, we fight all the time, right? Or maybe I’m just over-complicating things.”

Tsugu stares, wide-eyed. “Umm, Ran-chan, I think you’re thinking yourself into a frenzy. I don’t think it’s really as complicated as you’re making it, you know? I think all of this could be solved if you talked to her. But I think she likes you. She doesn’t seem like the type of person to kiss you without liking you.”

“...I guess you’re right.”

“I am.” Tsugumi says, self assured. “I hope you two get together. You really love her, don’t you?”

Ran feels her cheeks burn, her heart thump in her chest. “Yeah. I do.”

“Then I’m sure it’s going to work out.”

She remembers the feeling of Yukina’s lips on hers, how the other vocalist’s hands felt, how soft they were, how much prettier she looked up close, rather than from a distance. Ran thinks about how everyone else seemed to fade away. She thinks about how she’s in love with Yukina, and how Yukina just might love her back. “I hope it does.”

Ran falls asleep, lulled into unconsciousness with thoughts of her not-girlfriend, Roselia’s vocalist, the girl whose lips were as soft as they looked, the girl that, despite everything between them, Ran loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me, writing this: god can they just date already  
> me, remembering that this a slow burn romantic comedy and that i am a little bitch of an author: lol nah, but they can kiss
> 
> on that note: bro is it gay to kiss a girl you're in love with and who loves you back? does that make you, like, dating, if there's established romantic feelings between one another?
> 
> anyways. i hope you enjoyed this chapter. i had an unreasonable amount of fun writing it, i hope that is obvious. halfway through i was like Huh maybe i should have like, included the other bands but i was like man it's three? two? am (time stops existing when you write fic, i guess) and i'm really lazy but hey maybe. at some point. no promises. this is like 40 something pages on google docs, and i am lazy. i said that already but i'm saying it twice for emphasis 
> 
> right. as always. i hope you enjoyed this fic! feel free to leave a kudo, comment, or rave about my fic on twitter. if you do feel free to tag me. commenting or raving about how awesome i am will grant you my eternal love forever. also my twitter is @shindouchrono so feel free to Hit Me Up (or tag me in things. i love things) but sometimes i don't notice dms or @s because i am, as heavily implied, very lacking in the brain cell department. also i have adhd
> 
> god this author's note is long. see you on the flip side (the next chapter) (whenever that will be) thank you for reading! 
> 
> PS: I SWEAR I LOVE RINKO I'M SORRY THIS IS HER FIRST SPEAKING ROLE IN THIS FIC. YES I KNEW THAT. THIS WHOLE TIME I WAS LIKE SHIT RINKO HASN'T TALKED ONCE BUT SHE DID. SHE'S TALKED ONCE, I DID IT. CAN I ADD HER AS A CHARACTER. I'M GOING TO. RINKO I LOVE YOU I PROMISE,  
> pss: "are moca and lisa dating" (i proceed to wink as i walk backwards away from you) (i trip and fall but look REALLY cool doing it) ((this might come up at some point. it will. mocalisa good)  
> psss: my new year's resolution for 2018 was to play a kirby game and i did but i sucked total ass at it. i also forgot my resolution for 2019 so that's on me


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